Page 25 - Community Living Issue 31-3

being seen: the media

impression of disabled people as
completely helpless and dependent, along
with the perpetuation of such
victimisation (Barnes, 1992). On the other,
the predominant coverage of the person
with learning disabilities as an object of
violence by a national newspaper can
draw attention to the significance of these
events, because disability hate crime can
be ignored no longer (Quarmby, 2011).
However, while it is important “to talk
about victims”, these narratives can create
the impression “that disabled people are
only ever victims” (Mencap Cymru, 2012).
So the UK’s national newsprint medium
must report on the everyday lives of
people with learning disabilities, because
the absence of portrayals of a diversity of
roles for disabled people across the media
can reinforce the belief that they are
incapable of looking after themselves and In the papers: four out of 10 stories in the national press about people with learning disabilities
are therefore prone to violence. As a focus showed them as an “object of violence”
group member asserted:
Protesters March on Ofcom over Offensive Reporting Disability. Glasgow: University of
“Hate” Language. www.disabilitynewsservice. Glasgow. www.gla.ac.uk/media/
“People to see me ‘as a person’ not com/disabled-protesters-march-on-ofcom- media_214917_en.pdf
my learning disability … but is that over-offensive-hate-language Wertheimer A (1987) According to the Papers:
newsworthy? Think it is: what life is like Durell S (2013) Advancing Inclusive Research Press Reporting on People with Learning
for people with a learning disability … Practices and Media Discourses: Difficulties. London: Campaign for the Mentally
that should be in the papers.” n Representations of Learning Disabled Adults by Handicapped
the Contemporary, Print Version of English
References National Newspapers. Unpublished PhD thesis. Shirley Durell is a
Anderson J (2011) Public bodies: disability on Coventry: Coventry University research assistant at
display. In: Tefler B, Shepley e, Reeves C, eds. Haller B (2011) Media & Disability Bibliography Coventry University.
Re-framing Disability: Portraits from the Royal Project (1930 to Present). http:// She is working on a
College of Physicians. London: Royal College of media-disability-bibliography.blogspot.co.uk investigation, led by
Physicians: 15-34 Mencap Cymru (2012) Does He Take Sugar? young disabled
Barnes C (1992) Disabling Imagery and the Disability media seminar held in Pierhead, people and funded
Media: an Exploration of the Principles for Cardiff Bay by the DRILL
Media Representations of Disabled People. Quarmby K (2011) Scapegoat: Why We Are (Disability Research
Halifax: the British Council of Organisations of Failing Disabled People. London: Portobello on Independent
Disabled People and Ryburn Publishing: 2. Books Living and Learning)
http://disability-studies.leeds.ac.uk/files/ Strathclyde Centre for Disability Research and programme.
library/Barnes-disabling-imagery.pdf Glasgow Media Unit (2011) Bad News for For more about her media research work, see
Disability News Service (2010) Disabled Disabled People: How the Newspapers are https://ldnewspapers.wordpress.com

Blame game: the effect of negative reporting

ress coverage of disability in the imagery, the media and discrimination”
uk has become increasingly (Barnes, 1992) has been highlighted by
Ppoliticised, with an increase in the disabled people and their organisations
use of derogatory language to describe since at least the 1960s.
disabled people. Modern media representations of Terms such as
These changes have played a role in people with disabilities have been ‘handouts’,
reinforcing the idea of disabled criticised as “frequently … limited to the used here in
the Daily
incapacity benefit claimants as sentimental, pathological and Mail, can
undeserving. sensational, or … disabled individuals are stigmatise
Disabled people have stressed simply not represented at all” people
the impact of this reporting on their (Anderson, 2011). claiming
lives (Strathclyde Centre for Disability However, people with learning benefits
Research and Glasgow Media impairments and their supporters have
Shirley Durell Unit, 2011). only just started to be concerned about
these matters.
The connection between “disablist

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